Paranoid Personality Disorders

Essay by Anonymous UserCollege, UndergraduateA+, November 1996

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Paranoid Personality Disorder is a disorder commonly mistaken for schizophrenic personality disorders. Schizophrenia, a psychosis, is when a person is has an image of a world and its transpiring events, and he/she is 'living' it. Paranoid Personality Disorder, however, is a neurosis where an individual is living in the real world. This disorder, though not as debilitating as other disorders, can still devastate a someone's life.

Individuals with this Paranoid Personality Disorder always assume that other people are 'out to get them' even if there is no evidence that this is true. They are constantly doubting others around them and scrutinizing every action. This attitude is taken on towards all people, like friends or associates, not only strangers. For these reasons, people with this personality disorder rarely confide in people and are actually amazed if someone shows loyalty. However, this amazement also gives way to disbelief and falls back towards the idea that this newfound loyalty is part of a plot to cause harm.

Those of with the disorder also tend to bear their grudges and unwilling to forgive. They nurture their grudges and anger, which over time, gives them more of a sense that it is the outside world which the problem, not themselves. At times, these individuals may also conjure up flamboyant illusions to confirm their behavior toward others.

These feelings are also carried out towards family as well. One example could be as if a person with this personality disorder had a spouse or sexual partner, this individual constantly thinks that their partner or spouse is cheating on them. Often, the spouse or partner is barraged with questions questioning their whereabouts, faithfulness, or intentions.

It is believed that these symptoms first appear usually during childhood or adolescence. Those believed to be most prone are 'loners,'...